The following bands are not punk, have never been punk, and do not produce anything resembling punk. I'm sorry if you believed otherwise.
Blink 182 (This one especially)
Good Charlotte
Yellowcard
Dead Poetic
A New Found Glory
Against Me!
A Simple Plan
Stretch Armstrong
The Donnas
Thursday
Sum 41
Fenix Tx
Story of the Year
Lostprophets
Sugarcult
MxPx
Boxcar Racer
Midtown
Evergreen Terrace
Norma Jean
Saves the Day
If you like these bands, hey, great! I'm not saying you shouldn't. I heavily support freedom of choice, after all, and all that jazz. I'm listing them here because I've seen them referred to as "punk rock" more than once in the past few months, by more than one person. Everytime I see this, or hear it, it makes one of my eyes start twitching. But it's ok. I know who you are. You're the same people that call Linkin Park metal, and have probably seen more than one episode of The OC.
But you have to understand something. Punk isn't about just sound. It's about an attitude that none of these bands are ever going to have. I know, I know, you think that rolling into Pac Sun and Hot Topic, picking out some cool outfits and t-shirts, and getting some piercings will make you more xCorex or punk, or something silly like emo.
But see, the music, true punk music, stems from systematic anger and rebellion that comes from impoverished and heavy social conditions that you just don't find in houses with SUVs in the driveway and manicured front lawns. And I know that all of you upper middle class teenagers and youth are looking for reasons and ways to rebel. But this isn't it. You aren't "punk rock," and neither is your music, ok? I don't intend to sound mean, but the things that make all of us unique are getting washed away in a sea of emo. Inviduality isn't about what you listen to, or look like, or how you dress. I realize that you may think otherwise, but a person is defined by what he or she gives to the world and the people he/she cares about.
Allow me to show you.
At any given moment, at any given nightclub, on any given weekend, you will see the following:
Guy: Tight jeans with cuffs,loose jeans, or shorts that come to the mid-calf, tight t-shirt with 80s logo or shitty band, white socks, saucony tennis shoes or black dress shoes, white belt, chain wallet, and long bangs with teased up spikey hair in the back. Plugs in the earlobes, and bracelets. Star tattoos, sailor jerry tattoos, or sparrow tattoos. Or a combination. sweatbands on wrists. Optional messenger bag. AOL/Blog name: xSomethingx
Girl: Tight jeans with or without cuffs, tight babydoll t-shirts or tanktops with similar logos to guys, teased, spikey chopped up shortish hair with streaks of some color blended with some other color, plugs in the earlobes, white belt, visible underwear, extremely pink makeup scheme, eyeshadow, preferably in contrast to lipstick. Sweatbands on wrists. Similar tattoos to guys, with the addition of cherry tattoos. AOL/Blog name: xSomethingx
Now you're saying to yourself, Hey, I know someone who looks like that, or I look like that. Of course, because this defines what is currently considered to be the "indie" or "emo" look. Now that just set off and alarm for some of you, who would like to argue about the difference between indie and emo. You can split hairs with me about it all day long, but there are really very minor differences between the two.
Is there anything wrong with this? Of course not. But you've forgotten all about originality in your efforts to be original. There's no glory in trying your hardest to fit into a scene. Like the music if you must, but be yourself without emulating the style of others, you know what I mean? I used to think uniforms in schools were going to crush creative spirit. But then I look around, and all this sort of thing is doing is creating a different kind of uniform outside of school.
C'mon, you motherfuckers are artists, for god's sake! All of you are, in some way or another. There's no better canvas than yourself, have fun with it while you can, don't just blend into the scene.
Blink 182 (This one especially)
Good Charlotte
Yellowcard
Dead Poetic
A New Found Glory
Against Me!
A Simple Plan
Stretch Armstrong
The Donnas
Thursday
Sum 41
Fenix Tx
Story of the Year
Lostprophets
Sugarcult
MxPx
Boxcar Racer
Midtown
Evergreen Terrace
Norma Jean
Saves the Day
If you like these bands, hey, great! I'm not saying you shouldn't. I heavily support freedom of choice, after all, and all that jazz. I'm listing them here because I've seen them referred to as "punk rock" more than once in the past few months, by more than one person. Everytime I see this, or hear it, it makes one of my eyes start twitching. But it's ok. I know who you are. You're the same people that call Linkin Park metal, and have probably seen more than one episode of The OC.
But you have to understand something. Punk isn't about just sound. It's about an attitude that none of these bands are ever going to have. I know, I know, you think that rolling into Pac Sun and Hot Topic, picking out some cool outfits and t-shirts, and getting some piercings will make you more xCorex or punk, or something silly like emo.
But see, the music, true punk music, stems from systematic anger and rebellion that comes from impoverished and heavy social conditions that you just don't find in houses with SUVs in the driveway and manicured front lawns. And I know that all of you upper middle class teenagers and youth are looking for reasons and ways to rebel. But this isn't it. You aren't "punk rock," and neither is your music, ok? I don't intend to sound mean, but the things that make all of us unique are getting washed away in a sea of emo. Inviduality isn't about what you listen to, or look like, or how you dress. I realize that you may think otherwise, but a person is defined by what he or she gives to the world and the people he/she cares about.
Allow me to show you.
At any given moment, at any given nightclub, on any given weekend, you will see the following:
Guy: Tight jeans with cuffs,loose jeans, or shorts that come to the mid-calf, tight t-shirt with 80s logo or shitty band, white socks, saucony tennis shoes or black dress shoes, white belt, chain wallet, and long bangs with teased up spikey hair in the back. Plugs in the earlobes, and bracelets. Star tattoos, sailor jerry tattoos, or sparrow tattoos. Or a combination. sweatbands on wrists. Optional messenger bag. AOL/Blog name: xSomethingx
Girl: Tight jeans with or without cuffs, tight babydoll t-shirts or tanktops with similar logos to guys, teased, spikey chopped up shortish hair with streaks of some color blended with some other color, plugs in the earlobes, white belt, visible underwear, extremely pink makeup scheme, eyeshadow, preferably in contrast to lipstick. Sweatbands on wrists. Similar tattoos to guys, with the addition of cherry tattoos. AOL/Blog name: xSomethingx
Now you're saying to yourself, Hey, I know someone who looks like that, or I look like that. Of course, because this defines what is currently considered to be the "indie" or "emo" look. Now that just set off and alarm for some of you, who would like to argue about the difference between indie and emo. You can split hairs with me about it all day long, but there are really very minor differences between the two.
Is there anything wrong with this? Of course not. But you've forgotten all about originality in your efforts to be original. There's no glory in trying your hardest to fit into a scene. Like the music if you must, but be yourself without emulating the style of others, you know what I mean? I used to think uniforms in schools were going to crush creative spirit. But then I look around, and all this sort of thing is doing is creating a different kind of uniform outside of school.
C'mon, you motherfuckers are artists, for god's sake! All of you are, in some way or another. There's no better canvas than yourself, have fun with it while you can, don't just blend into the scene.
VIEW 10 of 10 COMMENTS
I like that line best of all even if it's not to original